Urging Others to Donate Blood
by Colleen McGee, MA, Lead Field Therapist (Wisconsin)
As a wilderness therapist, it’s probably no secret to most that my career in wilderness is a life guided by activism and advocacy for children and the environment. I am witness to healing and transformation every day and I take great pride in my work as a helping professional. Today’s teens are a misunderstood population to say the least, and in a world further complicated by technology and increasing demands it seems the need to get back to basics in nature couldn’t be more urgent. This philosophical foundation, among others, has guided my journey in this field and the rewards it has brought me has enriched my soul and strengthened my commitment to see the young people I work with heal the wounds of their body, mind and spirit. Recently, my sense of the necessity of helping and healing professionals has hit close to home for me in a very different and unexpected way; when I learned that my 13 year-old nephew and godson Christopher had cancer.
Initially, I was consumed by grief and paralyzing fear, my sense of powerlessness rendering little other than the words “Why?” and “How?” constantly ringing through my head. As the dust eventually settled on this seemingly earth-shattering news, I found myself humbled and hopeful, and at the mercy of the dedicated medical staff and their commitment to healing and helping children. Turns out, Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a treatable cancer with a high recovery rate and I’m not so powerless in this process after all. I am reminded in some ways here of what families go through when they enroll their child at New Vision Wilderness. And just like my relationship with the families who have entrusted their child to me and the capable staff at NVW, I could hear my own advice popping up in my head when I reminded myself to trust the process. I wished the medical staff could make the same guarantee to me that my families ask me to make to them when they urge me to promise this intervention will work and their child is going to get better. Just like the families I work with there is more I can do than just sit and wait for the next bit of news.
I have learned that cancer patients, like any other human being going through a period of distress, thrive on the support, guidance and well wishes of others. I have been moved and inspired by the outpouring Christopher and his family have received through neighbors, friends and even a few professional athletes! In addition to support and encouragement, part of Christopher’s treatment includes several blood transfusions; an especially touching piece considering this part of his healing is contingent on the kindness of absolute strangers who are willing to endure the discomfort and time associated with this process. In the spirit of paying it forward, I have happily signed up and donated. Now I’m asking you to do the same. Did you know that according to the American Red Cross, one blood donation can save the lives of up to three people? And in the U.S. someone needs a blood transfusion every two second? This adds up to almost 44,000 needs per day! And although only 38% of the population are actually eligible to give blood, most of the people who don’t cite excuses such as “I never thought about it” or “Needles are scary” to avoid a measure that saves millions of lives. Just knowing these transfusions are helping my godson heal are enough to take my advocacy skills in a different direction. One of the tenets of NVW’s model includes placing a high value on giving back and being part of a community and from one community member to another. I ask you to do the same. Donating blood and volunteering are just a couple of the ways we can take action to fight this disease and play a larger role in the betterment of self, others and the world.
In closing, I want to take a moment to tip my bug-sprayed, campfire smoke-infused hat to those medical professionals who have dedicated their careers to heal children fighting this horrible disease. From one helping professional to another, I am inspired by your commitment and your kindness. Most importantly, I am inspired by your love. In the spirit of humility and hope I thank you for the lives you save.
